§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which are currently party to the Lomé convention which his Department has assessed as failing in human rights terms. [44228]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonNo such assessment has been made. But the Government attach great importance to the human rights provisions of the Lomé Convention. We have been working during the UK Presidency to agree an internal procedure allowing the EU to implement the 459W human rights suspension clause introduced by the Mid Term Review of the fourth Lomé Convention. We hope this procedure will come into force in the autumn.